Ankarabolava-Agnakatrika Forest is a roughly 16 km2 area in Southeastern Madagascar. The forest is located in a Priority Area for Plant Conservation, which means it contains a very diverse flora with several locally endemic species.

It is also home to the endangered Eulemur cinereiceps or white-collared brown lemur as well as a species of mouse lemur previously unknown to science.

But the area also provides timber for construction, plants used in traditional medicine, and is the source for several rivers that are used to irrigate local rice fields. Clearly it is important both as a conservation concern as well as a local economic concern. The question becomes: is there a way to address both concerns simultaneously and to the benefit of all? We believe the answer is YES.

See and hear how below.

Site Reports

06

News from Ankarabolava-Agnakatrika - July 2014

One of the risks associated with this project is that when people living around the Forest hear that a land exchange project is being launched to enable forest occupants to leave their fields within the forest then some may be tempted to create new fields in the forest in the hope of being eligible for the scheme. In order to prevent such speculation, and to avoid the circulation of unhelpful and untrue rumours, our first activity in this project was to explain our objectives and approach clearly to the full diversity of local stakeholders. To do this we met with the local authorities, made broadcasts from local radio stations, and organised a village meeting to which all forest occupants were invited. Initially the forest occupants attending the meeting were concerned that we had called the meeting to announce to them that they had to leave the forest but on learning the truth they were relieved (although perhaps slightly unbelieving).